Knitting-machine.



1 E. RANDALL.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPuc/nlon man ocT. 2s. |913.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEETI Fig. 1.

A IIIIII E. E. RANDALL. xmr'ms MACHINE.

APPLlcmoN mio ocT. 2s. 19:3.

gls?. 4 v Patented Jan.2,1v917.

2 SHEETS-SHEU 2.

Inventor. Edson EQunduH, byM-MMZWM i' EDISON E. RANDALL, oF KANKAKE PATENT oEEioE.

ooMPANY, or CHICAGO.,

lLLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO PARAMOUNT KNITTING LLINOIS, A CORPQRATION 0F ILLINOIS A KNITTING-MACHINE.

Specicatioii of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

Application led October 28, 1913. Serial No. 797,885.

To all'fwihom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, EDISON E. RANDALL,

lia citizen of the United States, residing at Kankakee, county of Kankakee, State of.

illinois, have invented an Improvement in Knitting-Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a speciication, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to knitting machines and is concerned with means for measuring the length of the knitted web and the change from one kind of for controlling knitting to another. upon the completion of a predetermined measured length of the web.

In the knitting of a web of material such, for example, as a stocking, it is found in practice that it is very difficult to obtain the same lengthof web in a .plurality of articles knitted although the number of courses of knitting may be precisely the saine. is due to the' varying quality of yarn, to the varying tension and to various other causes which it is practically impossible to overcome, It is important in knitted articles, especially those that are to be used for wearing apparel, such as a stocking, that the dimensions of the parts of the article shall be accurate. Such articles as stockings, forexample, vary o-r differ in linear measurement between the various sizes to a comparatively small extent. In stockings it is important that the length of Ithe foot and the length of the leg should be exact and the saine in all stockings of a given size.

This in'vention provides two mechanisms for measuring the web, one of which measures by the numbenof courses knit and the other of which measures the actual length of the web.- It further provides means by which either of these measuring means/may `ther provides for of knitting to another upon thecom'pletion length of web as deterbe biought into action as desired. t furthe change from one kind ot.a predetermined mined by either of 4the measuring means in action. In the knitting of a stocking. for example, where the knitting proceeds beginning at the toe, recil'irocating knitting may be employed tor knitting theV toe pouch and upon the completionoi' a `predetermined number of courses a change will automatically be ei'iected to plain circular knitting This' than the numberof courses knit is which will continue until the heel pouch is to be begun. The length of this plain circular foot portion will determine thek length of the foot. This foot portion may be measured either by the number of courses knit or by the employment ot the means for determining the actual length of the foot portion. When the prescribed number of courses have been knit or when the prescribed length has been`knit then a change will automatically 4be effected to the reciprocating knitting for the heel pouch. Upon the completion of a predetermined 'number of coursesl of reciprocating knitting a change will then be effected usually to plain circular knitting for the ankle portion. The length of the ankle portion may be measured by the number of courses knit or by the actual length of the web as either mechanism is used. Upon the completion of the prescribed length as determined by either mechanism, a change is automatically effected to ribbed knitting or if the stocking is not to have a ribbed leg, plainv circular knitting, beginning at the termination of the heel pouch will continue through the length of the leg. lVhile it may be desirable to measure the actual length of the foot portion accurately, itis in the knitting of the `leg portion that the greatest variation takes place and while this portion is beingknit the measuring means which determines the actual length of the web rather employed whether the leg be knit of plain' circular work or of ribbed work.

The nature of the invention will more fully appear 'from the accompanying description and lai'ly pointed out in the claims.

The drawings illustrate so much of a knitting machine arranged for knitting ribbed, plain circular and reciprocating lwork as is drawings and will be particunecessary to an understanding oia the present invention. A knitting machine is a complicated machine and as the present invention isconcerned only with the measuring of the web and the control of the change from one kind of knittingvto another, those parts' of the machine not directly involved have been omittedfor the sake of clearness.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view in fron-t elevation oi a knitting machine showing only those parts necessary to an understanding of the invention. Fig. 2 1s a de- BEST AVAILABLE COP` tail of the mechanism for o'perating the main ratchet for the pattern shaft, partially in cross section and looking toward 'the ri ht of the machine. Fig. 3 is a side elevation looking at. the ri ht hand side of the machine shown in ig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail of some of the mechanism for throwing into and out of operation the device for measuring the ,actual length of the web, being a cross section taken on the line a a of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the device shown in Fig. 4. Fig. G is a detail showing the ratchet wheel clutch controlling disk and operating pawl. Fig. 7 is a detail of a drum and its operating pawl forming a part of the mechanism.

The knitting machine illustrated in the drawings is particularly adapted foil the knitting of ribbed leg stockings and contains provision. therefore, for the knitting of plain circular, reciprocating and ribbed work but as the details of such machines are well known and familiar to those skilled in the art and are not involved with the present invention, they are not illustrated.

The frame of the machine is shown as comprising the vertical standards 1, 2, 3 and tli top plate l. The main shaft is indicated at 5 provided with the fast and loose pulleys 6 and 7 by which power is transmitted to the machine. The usual cylinder needles are mounted in the cylinder 8 and the usual dial needles in the dial plate 9. The usual cani for the cylinder needles is driven by the bevel gear 10 and the cam 11 for the dial needles when locked by the pin 1Q actuates the dial needles. When the dial cani is unlocked by the pin 12 the dial needles are out of action. A' lever 13 is controlled by a star wheel 1-'t to move the pin and lockior unlock the cam for the dial needlesl when r'fquired and the operation of this star wheel is secured by a riser 15 being brought into its p atli. These elements maybe all as moie fully described and illustrated in the patent to lluse and Iluse. Reissue No. 12,917 granted February t). 1909. The movement of the riser 15 is controlled by suitable pattern mechanism and determines the change from plain to ribbed knitting and vice versa.

The change from plain circular to reciprocating work may be effected in any suit- 'able and well-known manner and one welb 55P known form of mechanism is sidiiciently illustrated as an example. The bevel gear lia) which drives the bevel gear 10 is rigidly connected `to the main shaft 5 while the fast and loose pulleys G and 7 are carried by the sleeve 16 on the main shaft. The pinion 1T is carried by the sleeve lil and the pinion 1S is loosely mounted on the shaft 5. sliding clutch member lil is splined to and slides on the shaft 5 and by its clutch shaft either the pinion 11e-or. 1H"` gear 20 mounted in the rear"o 1the'shaftfnjeshes with the pinion 17 Y and cari-ies a crank-'piti' connected by a connec'tin rod' to a seg` mental gear 22 in me'sli withy the It will thus be seen that when tie sliding clutch member 19 is thrownfto the right in eiigageiiicnt'\vith the pinion 1.7', the bevel gear 150 will be driven 'Continuously and plain circular knitting or ribbed .work will result according as to whetherfthe dial needles are out of or in action while if the sliding clutch 19 be thrown to the left into engagement with the pinion 1R the bevelgear 150 will be given an oscillating mowinent and recil'irocating knittiiig, wiif be performed. The sliding clutch member l!) is shown as operated by a lever23 fulcrunied at Q4 on the frame. v

pattern shaft 25 is mounted in the frame of the machine and has fast thereon a ratchet wheel 26 operated by a pawllicariied by the swinging lever 28 pivoted at .29 which lever is held by a spring 30 against the face of the cam 31 mounted upon the shaft 82 which shaft also serves as a )ivotal center of the segmental gear 22. luis at each i'eciprocation of the segmental gear Q2 the pawl 2i' is also reciprocated to ratchet around the ratchet wheel 21". But the pawl 2T is normally disengaged from the ratchet wheel by a controlling lever 33 overlying inion 18.-y

and operated by the main pattern chain 34.

This controlling lever is normally held out 'of engagement with the ratchet wheel by the 'u spring When it is desired that the ratchet wheel 26 shall be moved. a suitably vided with the required lugs or by the length of time during which any single link having a proper lug is maintained in position to allow the operation of the said pawl.

The shaft Q5 has rigidly secured thereto a drum or disk 36 having a section of its periphery provided with ratchet teeth. Af

pawl 37 coperates with these teeth Vat proper times and is pivotally mounted on the upper e of/a lever 3S also pivoted on the shaft 2. n held by a s )ring 39 up against a part' os.illating on tie shaft 32 with the segmental gear 22 so that this paw] is normally given a continuons oscillating movement.

The riser 15. already described. by which the change from ribbed to plain knitting and vice versa is initiated. is operated by pins or projections carried with the pattern shaft and one of these pins is shown at faces is adapted to engage and lock to the l0 projecting from the drum or disk 36.

This pin at the proper time comes into conn tact with a lever V41 fulcrumed at 42 to the frame and connected to the riser and thus the riser is actuated.

The pattern shaft 25 also carriles Aintegral therewith a clutch controlling disk 43 provided on its periphery With a cam groove 43 coperating with a stud 43h on the lever 23 and which at the required times shifts the lower end of the lever 23 4to the left or to the right as required thus causing the sliding clutch member 19 to engage the pinion 17 or the pinion 18 and initiate circular or reciprocating work as required.

The main pattern chain' 34 is carried by a sprocket wheel 4A which with a connected ratchet wheel l5 is loosely mounted on the shaft 25. This ratchet wheel at the required times is operated by a pawl 46 pivotally connected rat 47 to the oscillating segmental gear 22 so that it is continuously in motion. The pawl 1l-6 has a wide face so that it not only engages the rachet wheel i5 but at times also engages with the projections 48 on the periphery of the clutch controlling disk i3. These projections control the engagement and disengagement of the pawl 46 with the ratchet 45.

The mechanism thus far described will, in a manner familiar to those skilled m the art, control the changes to ribbed, plain circular or reciprocating knitting atthe required time and the length of knitted web while either kind of knitting is being performed -will be measured by the number of courses knitted and determined by the pattern mechanism.

The determination of the actual linear extent of the knitted another kind of knitting` upon the completion of a predetermined actual linear length will be effected" by the mechanism now to be described.

A friction wheel 49 is freely mounted at 50 secured to some portion of the frame and arranged so that the periphery ofthe wheel will be close to the path of thel knitted web land adjacent the bottom of the cylinder. The periphery ofthe wheel is given a rough or friction surface and for that purpose maybe provided as indicated with some Such material as.

card Iclothing. A guard51 shown as a smooth metal plate is mounted on the end of.

an arm 52 projecting from a hub 53,*loosely mounted on the shaft 50 and this guard extends across the periphery of the wheel. A coiled spring 54 secured at one end of the hub 53 and at the other end to a block 55 rotar-ily adjustable on the shaft 50 acts normally to swing the guard to throw the, guard to a position where it will 'not interfere with the contact of the wheel 'and the knitted web. Anarmfiit rigid with the hub downwardly in opposition the wheel and the .Y

by a pin 501 engaging one of Ain Fig. 3. The cam V58; A sprocket wheel 59.

web duringany de-` sired period is secured and the change to 53 projects in a direction opposite to thc arm 52 and is provided with connections by means of which the guard may be thrown to the spring 5i to a position between knitted web thus preventing contact ot' the former with the latter. The movement of the guard 51 in either' ydirection is'limited the faces 54A of a slotted'collar 503 adjustably secured to the shaft 50 by a set screw 501. Thusby operation of the arm 56 at the required times the friction wheel may be rocked into and out of contact with the knitted web.

The mechanism for controlling the operation of the guard 51 is illustrated in detail disk 57 isrigidly secured to the pattern shaft 25 andv provided. on its end surface with the face cam groove is mounted on the shaft 50 to turn therewith in unison with the friction wheel L9 and carries a pattern chain 60 provided at *the required intervals with suitable lugs or risers. A beli-erank lever 61 is mounted on a shaft 6:2 and nas one arm 63 extending upwardly and provided with a stud riding in the face cam 5Sn while its other arm 6J: has pivotally com nected thereto a link 65 provided at its opposite end with a slot 66. '66 of the link 65 engages a stud on the end of the Shorter arm 67 of another bell-crank lever 68 fulcrumed at 69 while the longer arm 7) of this bell-crank lever has its free end cam shaped to present two surfaces., one of which 71, is nearer the fulcrum .69 than the other 72 and these cam surfaces coperate with .a pin 73 projecting from the pawl-carrying arm 38. When the surface 71 is in engagement with the pin 73, the pawl 37 may be actuated fully hut'when the surface 72. in engagement with the pin 73 'thcphwl '37 is prevented from having itsl part and cannot, therefore, act to turn theA ratchet disk 36. An arm74 is connected to move with the bellfcrank lever 68 on the The slotted. end g full movement from its actuating connected to a link 75. This link 75 atits oppositie end is provided with a slot engaging' a pin 91 on the Vend of the arm 56.

The construction is such that with the parts in the position shown in Fig, 3, that is withA the stud onl the arm 63 of the bell* cranklever 61 in the highv part of' the face cam the bell-crankl rockedt'o 'swing the bell-crank lever 68u19 wardly and also to swing the armv74 rearwardly and to rock the guard 51 downwardly to prevent the friction wheel 49 from contacting with the knitted web. When now., a change iu knitting is efected and it is' desired thatl the web shall he meas: ured by the friction wheel 49, the pattern shaft 25 turns to such a positionthat thewill have been stud on the end of the arm 63 rides into v the low part of the face cam 58. The bellcrank lever .G1 is then rocked forwardly carrying with vit the link 65 by reason of the slot GG'at its end without moving the bell-crank lever 68. On the next forward movement of the pawl 37, the bell-crank lever G8 drops and the cam surface 72 comes behind the pin 73 thus holding the pawl 37 in such a position that it cannot actuate its ratchet wheel. The arm 74 swings forwardly with the bell-crank lever 68 and the spring 5l is allowed to act to throw the guard 5l upwardly and establish contact between the friction wheel l() and the knitted web. At the same time one of the projections 4H on the clutch controlling disk 43 rides beneath the pawl 4G and lifts it out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 45 and the operation of the pattern chain 3l thus ceases. Knitting then continues and' is measured b v the friction wheel 49.

lVhen a predetermined length of web has been knitted a suitably positioned lug or riser on the pattern chain o() comes beneath the upper end of the arm 74 rocking the arm 7l and the connected bell-crank lever 68 rearwardly. Owing to the slot in the end of the link 75 this slight rocking movement takes place without changing position of the guard 3l but the arm 70 rises sufliciently to free the paw] 37 and allow it to actuate its ratchet wheel. Up to this time the pawl 46 has been elevated by a projection on the clutch controlling disk 43. and the pattern chain 34 has been left with a lug ready to come beneath the controlling lever 33 to allow the pawl 27 to actuate the ratchet wheel Q6. But with the pawl-QT thus out of operation, when the pawl 37 is thus freed to its full movement, it turns the main pattern .shaft a nd rotates it until the pawl 46 drops down oli the projection on the clutch controlling disk and engages and drives the main pattern chain ratchet wheel 45, thus imnaalatolv setting the pawl 27 into engagement with thel ratchet wheel 2li. The main pattern shaft is now driven continuously until th:l high part of the face caln 58 rocks the lafll-crank lever G1 rearwardly giving an extended movement to the arm 74 and y vthrowing the guard 51 between the friction wheel 49, a lug or riser on the main pattern chain 34 throws the paw] 27 again into operation and the main pattern shaft isratcheted around to bring the stud on -the end of the mined length of knitted web measured either wa has been reached.

aving'fully described my invention, what .I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentis v 1. In a knitting machine for knitting different kinds of Work, a friction Wheel located in the path of the web and adapted to be rotated thereb a movable guard which, when interposed tween the wheel and the web prevents the rotation of the wheel by the web, a pattern chain driven by said wheel and operating to effect the movement of the guard into the interposed position upon the completion of a predetermined length of knitted web and pattern controlled means for effecting the movement of said guard out of interposed position.

2. A knitting machine comprising means for knitting ribbed and plain work and for changing from one to the other, a friction wheel located in the path of the web and adapted to be 4rotated thereby, means for automatically causing the co-action of said web and wheel upon the commencement of ribbed work and means operated from said wheel and actuated upon the completion of a predetermined length of web to effect a termination of the co-action of said wheel and' web and a setting into action of the means for, knitting plain work.

3. In a knitting machine, means for knitting ribbed work, plain circular work and reciprocating work and for changing from one to the other, means operated by contact with the knitted web for causing the cessation of either circular or ribbed knitting und the commencement of another of the aforesaidv kinds of knitting upon the completion of a predetermined length.

4. A knitting machine comprising means for knitting ribbed work, plain circular work and reciprocating work and for changing from one to the other, means operated by contact with the knitted web for causing the cessation of one kind of knitting and the commencement of another kind of knitting upon the completion of a predetermined lcngthjand means for causing the cessation of one kind of knittingr and the commencement of another kind of knittingr upon the completion of a predetermined number of courses and pattern controlled means for throwing either of the last two means into web muy he measured either by the Wheel or operation. I bythe number of courses knit.

In a knitting machine, a fi'ictionmwheel In testimony whereof, I have signed my 4 located in the path of the web andndupted name to this specification, in the presence of 5 t? be iolated thereby, to Ineasur the length two subscribing witnesses.

o the nitted web, means for eterniininf L he number of courses in the web being kniti EDISON E RANDALL' ted and means for automatically causing, Witnesses:

'when required, the (1o-notion of the said Jos. H. SPRGHnR,

10 Wheel and web, whereby the length of the HENRY O. YVANGERIN. 

